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Flap vs. Step: Fight!

Draker

Well Known Member
My steel step flange interferes with flap motion and prevents full up travel. Who wins? Would you trim the flap skin or grind away the corner of the step flange?

 
Step

How much would you need to grind the step? I'd be inclined to try that first, if it can be done carefully in situ.
You may also want to replace a couple of the step rivets that have smilies since it is in a quite visible area. ;)
 
Flap would be easier.

Steel bracket would be my preference, and by slow, careful work it could be done "Situ" (in place), but risk of damage to fuselage skin might be considered.

If you do the steel bracket, remove a few rivets, try and jam a stainless steel shim in there and start cutting by hand with hacksaw blade. Power tools like a Dremel might be a tad risky. Also you could just bevel or chamfer the edge of the steel bracket so it clears.
 
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I like the idea of carefully chamfering the corner of the step and then trimming a tiny bit from the flap skin. Less than 1/32 needed I’d say. Thanks everyone!
 
More clearance

You might consider a little more clearance. Flight loads may cause the flap move around a bit.
 
Probably too late to change now but for others still building, to eliminate this problem and for a cleaner look, consider trimming the flange slightly and putting it on the inside. I did it this way with flush rivets and it turned out good.

Bevan
 
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